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LOOSE PART BRIDGE!

I have recently added some old car tyres and wooden decking squares to the play area outside. I am not sure how the children will use them and feeling quite excited to find out.

As we played outside I brought the tyres on to the patio and started to lay them on their sides. “I” started to pull them in to a line. She told me they could be a bridge. I said I had something that might make a good top to a bridge and fetched the planks.

“I” worked at lifting them one by one and trying to get them to balance on the tyres. I helped her to turn them so that they were resting on their wooden beam rather than the uneven edge. This made them more stable.

Very quickly Little “M” climbed on top of the tyres and planks and started to crawl along it.

“I” started to walk along the bridge she had made. Starting at one end and working her way along it.

She used her arms stretched out on either side to hold her balance. She told me that she can now balance along the beams at the park by herself.

LEARNING INTENTIONS AND IDEAS FOR EXTENDING LEARNING:

Offer loose parts in the garden to see how the children use them. How do they use them to enhance their play?

Make observations to help plan further play experiences.

NEXT STEPS:

Use the observations made and us them to plan further play activities for the children.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING:

“I” showed a keen sense of exploration when offered these loose parts. She knew what she wanted to make and tried hard to role the tyres in to place. She was flexible in her thoughts and happily took on my suggestion to add the planks as a walk way. She showed me where she wanted them to be laced and together we aligned them so that they were safe to walk on. She was engaged in her play and was finding out about how items could be used. Motivated by her own curiosity and imagination. Was was keen to try out her bridge once built and happy to share it with little “M”.